Shampan, Shambles!

Oh dear, what was I thinking?! Can you ever really trust a curry on Brick Lane? Please, please, someone disabuse me of my belief that Brick Lane curries are amongst the most inferior offerings from the legendary culinary cauldron of India/Bangladesh/Pakistan. So, I thought that, at the very least, the lauded Shampan, (Bangladeshi specialities) would come good!

How wrong I was; with the exception of a rather tasty and almost basque sounding Lamb Xacuti - a slow roasted lamb with tamarind, fierce bird's eye chillies, garlic, coriander and cumin.

Ok, what not to have:

King Prawn Puri - Shame on you Shampan, this should be easy! Tired, greasy, limp puri, and an almost artificially sweet, tomato drenched curry, served on, what I can only assume is some kind of ex-prison aluminium tray, with the most paltry, wilted shredded lettuce, i have seen in some considerable while.

The chicken jalfrezi had an artificial quality resonant of too much dried chicken stock - a kind of verisimilitude of actual chicken. I am convinced that this is the lowest grade, battery bird - flavourless and pulpy.

Our guest, a vegetarian, decided upon a selection of sides (querkily named "sundries" on the menu). So, here we go:
Tarka dal - unseasoned, and reeking of that dried chicken stock again
Sag paneer - amongst the greatest travesties of the meal. Now I know that the Bangladeshi like their jaggery, but really, this tasted more like dessert.
Mushroom bhaji - Over which I tried to fight my guests, but they were insistent. White, closed cup mushrooms, in coriander and spices (i'm always suspicious of the catch all "spices") - GROSS!

...and finally the breads - stuffed paratha (some odd collection of starchy, illuminous veg), served slightly off warm - honestly, I nearly gipped!
Keema naan - I know, you are all saying, "well, Matt, what did you expect? Keema naan, is always, almost without exception,RANK!", but we ploughed on inspite of the niggling voice in my head to the contrary...and we weren't dissapointed, well actually, we were. It was indeed, limp, underseasoned, the meat of suspect origin and off-warm (the polite way of saying cold - HA!, now I'm holding back)

WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!

...and the question has to be asked, why? I just don't get it. There is so much competition on Brick Lane, and I have had a fair few Rubys, but the restaurants seem to resolutely not give a shit about respecting the food of their homeland or the clients whom they are feeding.

I have cooked with many friends from India and Pakistan and they always give a wry smile when I mention Brick Lane. They universally chime "have you ever been to a Harvester before", and I cock my head and respond, "elaborate". They go on to explain that in much the same way that British cooking has been bastardised and reduced to the LCD for a particular market, at a particular price point, thus with Indian food in the UK.

This is the Indian paradox, similar to the Chinese paradox, whereby we, in the UK, are peddled anglicised versions of the truth. Don't get me wrong, I know what the culinary truth looks and tastes like in China and India, and sometimes it is unpalatable to us here in the UK. But, I hold that this is no excuse for crap! When I say crap, I mean low grade poultry, meat and fish; over oily breads - cooked at the beginning of service and then re-fried just before service - I mean that is truly rank! "Sundries" which taste like under-seasoned after-thoughts - NO, NO, NO!

A couple of years ago I was taken to Benares (http://www.benaresrestaurant.com/) for my birthday. Now I realise that it is inappropriate to compare Brick Lane to Benares, but I think, and I know that Atul Kochar would agree with me that anglicised Indian food can look and taste stunning and delicious. There doesn't need to be a "spicy onion gravy" that is the base to every dish.

Stop me if I'm wrong, but I think we are all increasingly aware of food miles, seasonality and food provenance and i think that this (quoted from the Shampan menu):
"Exotic fresh water fish of Bangledesh
Throughout the world people are becoming more aware of the health advantages of including more fish in their diet." They go on to list a minimum of 4 fish dishes - fish indigineous to the Bay of Bengal. Now, I think that this is incompatible with what many guests/customers/clients want. I think they want to see local fish, cooked in the Bengali style...and maybe if they don't then, i would go as far as to say, they should!

Ok, so, I guess what I'm driving at is that these places should make the effort, open their eyes and provide a truly amazing gastronomic experience that the Moghuls would be proud of!

my final note on this - upon leaving Shampan I saw a group of 6 Americans, being customarily accosted by the many "touts" on Brick Lane, and I felt genuinely sorry for them - this should not be the case. Brick Lane is legendary and rightly so, but going forward the legend needs to pull its' collective socks up and perform!

Please, Please, Please tell me I'm wrong and that I have totally missed the point and that you will take me on a whirlwind tour of the best that Brink Lane has to offer.

I'm gonna list Shampan, because I want someone to prove me wrong http://www.shampan.co.uk/

Mx

Tapas - Simple but brilliant - or so I thought?!

I shamlessly cooked up some tapas for friends, who were visiting from Chicago last week. I say shamelessly becasue tapas always seems like the easy option. Jamon de Monroyo from Brindisa (http://www.brindisa.com/) almonds, sweet peppers stuffed with goats' curd (courtesy of Neal's Yard http://www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk/), deep fried Padron peppers, home made tortilla de patatas, the ever present patas bravas; albondigas, manchego and queso de cabrales with membrillo, boquerones en vinagre, gambas al ajillo etc., etc.

What a fool! I spent all morning shopping, all day and all night cooking. I'm either not doing it right or i am such a glutton/feeder that I just can't stop!

anyway, judge for yourself!

Check out the Jamie Oliver antipasti platter www.jamieoliver.com/jme/kitchen/serveware/info/antipasti-platter/100017.html
which showcased the chorizo fantastically, as well as affording a bit more space on the table!

Happy days - although it did piss down with rain around 10pm!

Matt

Emperor's New Clothes or Amazing Local Deli to the Primrose Hill Set?

Yes, of course, I'm talking about Melrose and Morgan.

Regularly "papped" denizens of Primrose Hill, London NW1 are likely to be spotted, as regularly, shopping in this self-contentiously worthy Deli. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on M&M; they have most definitely got it sown up - the triple threat, Deli, Lunch, (they have a tiny high bar seats about 4 or 2 with a Quinny) and local catering service.

So, what's it all about? Fresh bread, own label preserves and chutneys, cookies, brownies, delicious salads, home-made favourites like, cottage pie, fisherman's pie, chicken volaille, crispy escalope served up in unpretentious aluminium cartons with white cardboard lids, complete with hand written labels. Bitter lemon tarts, ice cream, a small but attractive selection of fresh veg. Well chosen, single estate, first and cold press extra virgin olive oils, from Italian producers, unheard of but you just know that the oil is like liquid gold! They have a narrow, but quality selection of wines also and quietly tout their very own branded tote carriers, cook book and cooking utensils.

I know, it sounds great doesn't it, Dean & de Luca hits Primrose Hill, indeed, but now comes that tricky, but increasingly important issue of value for money. 2 small rib-eye steaks, 2 brownies, 2 salads, a veg terrine, a pot of honeycomb ice cream, a mini tartlet and a goats curd quiche - £50. Now, is it me or is that quite pricey?! Fair enough, location, location, location, but I'm taking it home and eating it in a 2 bed semi in West Ham!!

I'm super keen on fresh, locally sourced produce, prepared daily and presented well but am reluctant to pay a premium for food whose quality credentials are based on simplicity, authenticity and accessibility. I mean, I get it, they are catering to their target audience - the seriously nicely well-off - but maybe M&M and their over-priced offerings are part of a larger issue.

There is an ever increasing price gap between "value" products and "premium" or "best", but is there an attendant quality gap. I don't remember it well, but I do recall the moment that food quality was graded and branded - it was the creation of the "finest" and the "value" ranges, which suddenly permitted and promoted an obvious separation of food quality within our local supermarkets. Clearly there have always been the Fortnums, Harrods, and chi chi boutique delis, but this was the first time we witnessed the power of the multiple retailers to clearly define the difference between low and higher grade products and most importantly charge a premium for them. Permit me: vine tomatoes - include the word "vine" and suddenly you have a product that is set apart from the regular tomato, it is superior, unusual, somehow more authentic. Shamefully this simple re-labelling attracts a upward price differential. Last time I checked, toms grow on the vine anyway and you don't eat that bit...well, I don't!

I guess my concern is, and this is where I go back to Melrose & Morgan, that maybe there is a "nomenclature con" going on. Are we simply paying a premium for food that tastes like it always did and simply the way it should, but re-named, re-branded, re-packaged and with the full complicity of the consumer (yes, we are to blame too) costs significantly more?

Melrose and Morgan - I do heart you and I heart what you do, but my wallet winces slightly when I reach the cash till and I wonder whether you aren't maybe an emperor in the buff!

That said, I fully recommend Melrose and Morgan for a few picnic nibbles to take up to the park with a very berry bottle of rose.

http://www.melroseandmorgan.com/

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog site!

This site is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in food and wine, both of which are my consuming passions. I am inspired by the quality of produce in this country (UK), but often depressed by its availability; inspired by some of the fantastic restaurants in our major cities and rural venues, but depressed by poor service and lack of attention to detail.

I want to use this space to discuss my experiences of dining, at home, in restaurants & abroad; to promote and publicise the best and to chastise the worst.

So, I want to know about your best and worst! Extol the virtues of your favourite restaurant, deli, bakery, Offie, fishmongers, Chippie, thai cafe, butchers, farmers' market, Indian take-away, Champagne, crisps & chutney! I want to hear about it all. Hate on those who commit culinary crimes - crap and careless service, outrageous prices, mutton dressed as lamb & snooty sommeliers!

I want to know about new products and produce, restaurants and bars, markets, food and drink events - the new and improved, the old and inferior; the weird and wonderful, the commonplace and comforting. I want recipes, tasting notes, mixology, menus, leave no side-plate unturned to find the best cutlery, glasswear, butter dish, gravy boat, napkins, espresso cup!

So, that's your starter for ten, now its up to you! Of course, i'll be posting reguarly to keep things ticking along. Email me with ideas and pix for postings.

See you out there.

Matt